How To Take Better Photos with your Smartphone
Cameras are everywhere. You can't get away from them anymore. Where at one time these devices were massively complex and only used by the most avid and professional photographers, today they can be found in every pocket, on every desk and in every computer (small or large). The age of the amateur photographer is at hand, and everyone wants to get in on the game. The question is, when you try your hand at it, will you be just like everyone else, or try to strive for something better than average?
Smartphones are some of the most readily available cameras that you will have access to, and if you are technologically savvy, then you will definitely already have access to. But, if you want your photo collections to stand out from the rest and have a higher quality for you to cherish for a long time to come, you can follow a few tips to take your smartphones photo-taking capabilities to another level. Head past the break below to see a few of our own tips that can help you do exactly that, and make your pictures really shine.
Watch your light - both natural and unnatural
It's a known fact that the LED flash found in most smartphones is not the most conducive for taking great photos in all situations; but that doesn't mean it can't be a powerful ally at the same time. Lighting is one of the most important factors that come with taking photos, even if your camera isn't the greatest in the world (and most smartphones aren't). You can still have a great looking photo that is slightly blurred, grainy and tinted in a small way, but you can't escape the fact that using lighting properly can change the quality of your photos in the greatest way.
Using a flash in the day time, for example, isn't only not a bad idea, but it can often turn out to be a great one. The LED flash can accent the contrast of colors or bring out the small details in a subject's face, even in bright daylight. In fact, using flash during the day may be better for your photos than in dim light - as the flash is much more severe and influential when the rest of the photo is cast in a shadow.
One rule does apply in a pretty universal way - you should almost always keep your subject of focus in the light, without making it harsh. Move yourself, your subjects or even your light sources (like lamps... you can't really move the sun much) around to maximize the clean look and clarity of the colors and details, even if it takes a bit of work. You can even use your flash in low light if that is necessary, but you may want to try this simple little trick to diffuse the glare or harshness of the LED when taking a photo. Using a small bit of tissue paper and a little ingenuity, you can still have an on-hand light source that is diffused and even throughout the entire photo. Of course, you'll want to test this trick out in order to get the best shot, but it will be well worth it in the long run.
Don't ever use digital zoom
If you're using one of the latest offerings in smartphones or have an app like Camera ZOOM FX at your disposal, you may be tempted to use the digital zoom feature to really get in close on your subject to capture small details. Let me put this very simply for you - don't ever do this.
For one thing, it is always possible to crop in closer on a photo later (which is exactly what digital zoom is doing while you take the photo), but once a photo is cropped, you can never zoom back out. Digital zoom adds no extra detail to the photo and in some cases can actual ruin the quality of the shot. If you need to get closer, then just get closer (when possible) or crop the photo later on. But please, do not digitally zoom in on a subject. It's just not a good idea.
Check your camera's settings
Whether you know it or not, your smartphone probably has a lot of camera settings that can come in very handy with taking great photos. You can change the exposure, color balance, resolution, levels and image quality to enhance the image and make colors really pop out. Over time, you will find that certain settings are better in different situations than others, and what might take a few moments to work with now, will be quick to setup in the future. Normally, though, you can go with a higher resolution with all photos, a greater exposure for shots with low-light, and keep your phone's stable-shot setting turned on to reduce blur and movement.
It's also important to be aware of white balance problems. By giving your camera a few seconds to adjust itself to the lighting and ambiance, you'll also allow it to change the white balance automatically and create more vivid images for you later. It's a small bit of time to wait for a great payout.
Clean your camera and screen
Perhaps the simplest tip of all is this; keep your phone's camera lens clear of debris and finger prints. It's much easier to get smudges and small particles on your smartphones lens, especially since there is no real cover to shield it from such invaders. Use a small microfiber cleaning cloth (which you can get at any corner-store) to quickly wipe away the grime and get back to taking that great photo. While it may not be so noticeable on your screen now, smudges will be easily seen on larger computer monitors and in photo albums later, so don't work yourself into a bit of regret!
Looking ahead
Of course, there are always plenty of other tips for making sure your photographs come out looking their best, and the ones we've listed here are only enough to get you started. Always be sure to look through your smartphones app store for camera apps and editing tools that can help you even more (some may even be tailored specifically to your needs). As smartphones continue to dominate their markets, and the technology behind them gets even better, we will soon find ourselves with greater cameras than we've ever had before - and it will all fit right in our pockets. Don't you want to know that you're ready at a moment's notice to take that perfect shot?
Don't forget to show off your photos now that you're taking great ones! Use HWDMediaShare to create a photo gallery on your own website, and let the world see what you've got going on!
Smartphone, Retro and Mobile images by BigStock.
